Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge my neighbor, my dealer?

I am fortunate to have an awesome Triumph dealer in my neighborhood. A few weeks ago, on a beautiful Colorado spring day, just as I have done every spring for the last four years, I stopped by my neighborhood Triumph dealer, lusting after the Phantom Black Triumph America.
I decide to take the plunge and discuss numbers, and like any responsible consumer, I shop the deal around, with the only other dealer nearby, in a nearby city. They give me substantially lower numbers and an immediate delivery date, (vs. the two week wait at my neighborhood dealer). I go back to my neighborhood dealer and ask them to match it. Upon first discussion, they report No, they cant do it.
While I continue to haggle with my neighborhood dealer, I wanted to share some thoughts for your comment and advise.
In my 35 + years in the work force, I have been fortunate to have owned a successful tile setting company, (sold long ago and nope, wont get on my knees anymore!), have worked in the non-profit sector, and am currently employed by the City. Under all of these various business models; I have asserted, and usually found agreement that neighbors need to work together to strengthen their neighborhoods because it promotes the eclectic and independent enterprise of the area. If we don’t, we soon have a Wal-Mart in the 'hood, beginning a process that soon takes the spirit and culture out of the neighborhood.
My question is:
What price should neighborhood retailers, (and vice versa, the neighborhood consumer), be willing to sell or pay, respectively, to strengthen the culture of their neighborhood? Personally, I am willing to pay a few dollars more to promote business in my 'hood. But man, Wal-Mart sure has great prices!
I woke up this morning with an idea to possibly help mitigate this shared risk of both the neighborhood business and their consuming neighbor. The idea is simple and is as follows; What if I were to pay the extra 5 bills to my neighborhood dealer that they are asking above and beyond the other dealer IF they are willing to make a donation, (of the $500.00 difference), to a local non-profit benefiting the area in which we live and do business? This would meet the neighborhood dealers profit margin, contribute to both the dealer and consumers neighborhood, allow the business a write-off, and make me, the neighboring consumer, feel like we are working together to strengthen our 'hood?
Obviously, this aint rocket science but I really want to work with my neighborhood dealer. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Sounds like an idea if the dealer can be trusted to actually do it and you can afford the extra $500. You might try and get as much of the $500 out of them in extras. Still supporting the local guy and getting some goodies for your scoot.I shop at Wal mart here. I would much rather shop at Bills Sure Save our local guy (I do buy meat there as it's top notch) but simply can't afford to buy other stuff there on a regular basis. Following your thinking I would much rather support my local guy but can't.If you can afford to do as you say and it would make you feel good then do it. If you know the guy and like him then do it. If you can't afford to do it then go with the better deal. You did give your local guy the chance to match it so you shouldn't feel bad going with a better deal. My dealer has been very good to me for a very long time. He does give me very good deals though. That being said he is my friend as well so if he was a little more than another guy I would still give him my business out of friendship. If there was a big difference I would ask him to match and if he didn't I would probably go for the better deal.

Well said. Thanks man. Sometimes me thinks too much...

Your dealer won't match someone else's price and you think he'll give the difference to charity if you buy your motorsickle from him? Man, I wish all the world thought the way you are thinking! Ask him and get ready for a good laugh.

I think he should. But instead of giving him the 500 why not agree to donate it your self in their name? that way you know it was done. A sales person will tell you anyhting you want to hear to make the sale.. Local "home town" dealers should be more willing to work with local people, but remember they dont move as much stock at the bigger multi location places. We have the same problem here. My profit margins are pretty thin on most of my retail products as it is, not to mention we offer a 10% discount to just about anyone ( fire frighters, cops, ems, bike club members, armed forces etc etc etc)so as for not meeting the other places price, I can see both sides of the knife on that one. But you got ot keep in mind the rep of the shop your buying from, do they offer good service? are they gonna get my bike back to me asap when it is in for a repair? Most dealers will put your bike on the bottom of the list for repairs if you did not buy from them. How is their repair work? is Bubba Ray Billy Bob working on your bike, or is someone who is trained to do quality repairs? If it cost lets say 300 more at the local dealer but they are better in all aspects of the business, I feel the 300 is a good investment.. Remember just like anyhting else "you get what you pay for"

It would be fun to solve the world's socialogical problems every time we do somthing, but the real world unfortunately functions a bit differently. He pays the same for that motorcycle as the other dealer. He has to service it under warranty whether or not you buy it from him. The only donation of $500 needs to be directly into your pocket. Any other action encourages them to have the attitude of your local dealer. Vote with your dollar. There are enough charity workers out there.

Went through a very similar situation after I read "Motorcyclist Magazine" glowing review of these soon to be released bikes back in late 2001, John. My two choices of dealers were however about equal-distance from me(about 8 miles in each direction...SoCal remember...There's LOTS o' people here as you may know, hence there's a lot more dealers in the area)

One was a dealer I had already bought one of the first Triumphs(Sprint) that came over to the U.S. when Triumph first re-entered the american market back in 1995. At that time this particular dealer sold Triumphs exclusively, as did the other in question here.

In the interviening years though, the dealer from whom I purchased the Sprint had become one of those multi-brand low-cost dealerships which now(in 2001) sold Hondas, Suzukis and Kawasakis, and seemed to place their Triumph operation on the "back burner", but sold the british brand at a few hundred dollars less than the other dealership which still exclusively sold Triumphs.

Feeling that the first dealership "didn't have their heart in it"("Triumph pride", so to speak) anymore, I told the second dealer that if he could get the "out-the-door" price of the BA down to within a couple of hundred bucks of the now high-volume low-cost dealership, he had a deal.

We inked the deal, I received one of the first BAs in the States a few months later, and now have a pretty good dealer-customer relationship with this establishment.

Matt Capri at SoBay Triumph(the dealer I'm referring to here) knows and appreciates these new Triumph twins like few others out there, and because of my continued patronage of his dealership over the years, I have received much in the way of discounts and even a lot of gratis(as in..FREE) products and services over the years, thanks in large part to this ongoing "relationship".(such as the free swag I got for the "Southwest Triumph Fest" last month in Prescott AZ)

So, my point is that sometimes the initial transaction one can have with these dealerships isn't the "want-all and be-all" of these things.

(and regarding this "community thing"...well, I refuse to shop at WallMart TOO...does THAT count for anything in your book???)

Just like Dwight said, you can't expect the local guy to match if he can't but can he come closer for the long term relationship would be the way to go. It sure is convenient stopping by the neighborhood dealer knowing they will take good care of you on parts and service and not put you on the bottom of their list because you bought it from the cheaper bid. One more thing, free loaners while work is being done are more likely from the guy you bought the bike from.

mike

I think they all get the bikes for the same money. I think its a matter of how much does he want vs. how much does he need.

How bout this? Buy the bike from the cheapest dealer and split the 500 with a charity. You get to feel good twice by donating money and saving money at the same time.

We all like the game of local business but, ya know, the business guy has to want to play too. If he doesn't compete with the other guy, he will be out of business soon enough anyhow so your efforts will be for nothing.

Man, I wish I had a choice in dealers. What a problem to have.

Iron,
In regard to the diff in dealer prices, perhaps one dealer actually sells more bike than the local guy. One thing I have found though there is more lienency in parts than the over bike itslef. I know my dealer wouldn't fudge much on the bike but was very tollerant on accessories. Then again if a donation were within reach of your local guy then by all means do it. I too like the way you think. Good luck. Don't pay a bit of attention to Moe!!! He's a corporate guy!!

Trumpy

There may be things going on in the background that you don't see. For example, immediate delivery sounds like you'll be getting a bike off the floor that has had dozens of the unwashed masses and snotty nosed children crawling all over it, while your local dealer will be selling you one fresh out of the box. You might also wonder why business is so slow at the other dealer that he has bikes that are setup but unsold in stock while your local shop is selling pretty much everything including bikes still on the delivery truck.